Fuel intake controlling device for internal combustion engines



July 7, 1931. W, A EDWARDS 1,812,939

FUEL INTAKE CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTlON ENGINES Filed Dec. '7, 1923 lill. vllllllnqlvlll/l/ Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. EDWARDS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Application led December 7, 1923.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction of a conduit for delivering fuel mixture to an internal combustion engine with means for automatically governing the admission of a final quan- -tity of air for admi'xture with the combustible elements of the fuel. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claim.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of an internal combustion engine equipped with this invention.

Figure 2 is a section at the line 2 2 on Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a modified form of the fuel mixture conduit and connections.

In the drawings an internal combustion engine is conventionally shown at A with its intake manifold indicated at B. The device in which the present invention is embodied is shown in two forms in Figures 2 and 3 respectively. The form in Figure 2 will be first described. It comprises the final member, C, of the fuel mixture conduit which has the customary flange, c, for securing it to the engine intake with the discharge mouth of said member registering with suitable aperture in the intake manifold. D is a vapor pipe for leading a vaporous fuel mixture from a source preferably lower than the engine, indicated at E. Y It may be understood that the structure of this vapor pipe and its connections antecedent to the final member, C, are such as to cause the vaporization and aspirationv of the liquid fuel which may be derived from the source, E, so that the mixture delivered from the discharge end of the L0 Vapor pipe, D, is substantially vaporous and may be practically a fixed gas by reason of being exposed to heat in said vapor pipe where the same passes through a heating jacket, F, connected with the exhaust pipe. z5 The final member, C, of the fuel mixture conduit comprises a venturi, Gr, and, antecedent thereto, a chamber, I-I, through which the vapo-r pipe, D, extends for discharge at the entering side or near the constriction 0l of the venturi. This chamber, H, has an air Serial No. 679,276.

inlet port, H1 which is normally closed by an inwardly opening valve, J, said valve having itsstem extending across the chamber and carrying a piston member, L, which reciprocates in a piston chamber, H2, formed as an extension or alcove from the chamber, H, said piston chamber being axially aligned with the valve so that the piston reciprocates in the chamber in the opening and closing movement of the valve. In the form shown in Figures l and 2, a spring K, is provided for holding the valve normally seated so that it opens against the yielding resistance of said spring. It may be found practicable to omit the spring for normally seating the valve, J, the resiliency of the air compressed in the piston chamber behind the piston being relied upon for returning the valve to its seat particularly in view of the circumstance that the piston, L, is of larger area than the valve, J, and that the suction from the engine tending to create a condition of partial vacuum in the chamber, H, will render the pressure or resilient action of the air behind the piston tending to thrust it out, greater than pressure in the chamber operating in the opposite direction.

The 'design and experienced mode of operation of this construction is that the degree of partial vacuum induced in the fuel mixture conduit by suction of the engine and operative for producing flow through the venturi, and effecting the velocity of such flow, is measured by the resistance to opening of the valve, J, due to the resilient operation of the spring when present as in Figure 2 plus the resilient resistance of the air subject to compression by the opening movement of the valve carrying the pistoninward, or said air resistance alone when the spring is not present; and that both the opening and closing movement of the valve is retarded by the operation of the piston in its chamber operating with the function of a dash-pot; so that the valve is not liable to be opened to an excessive extent by its own momentum upon the sudden access of suction as is known to be a defect in operation of air intake valves not providedA with means equivalent to the regulating the dash-pot resistance to the Vvalve there may be provided an adjustable vent for the piston chamber as indicated by the needle valve, R, in Figure 2.

In the form .shown in Figure 3 the chamber, I-I, anterior to the venturi, G, through which the vapor-conducting fuel mixture pipe, D, extends to reach the venturi, is modiiiejd in form from that shown in Figures 1 and 2 having the portion in which the port, H1, and. the dash pot pocket, H2, are situated deflected upwardly, `forming a vertical shoulder at the lower side through which the pipe, D, enters, the port, H1, being in the horizontal shoulder produced by the deflection inentioned, and the dash pot member, II2being by this -means positioned verticallyl directly opposite the port, H1, so that the valve, J, and dashpot plunger or piston member, L, are positionedvertically and arey thereby adapted to operate by gravity for .seating the valve an'dwithdrawing the piston member to the mouth of the dash pot chamber, rendering it possible to dispense with the spring, K,

which is provided vin the'form shown in previous figures.y

The term venturi Vas -used in the claim for'identifying the part, G, is to be linden stood as calling for a conformation of the air passage constricted for reducing the cross section thereof, constituting the path for air flow encompassing the discharge mouth of the fuel mixture conduit for causingv thev air admitted around `the discharge of said conduit to encompass the fluid jet. discharged at that point, for thewell known effect of such construction in accelerating the discharge of the-fluid fromthe Vconduit whose discharge mouth is thus encompassed.

`I claim In a fuel 'feeding system forinternal combustion engines, in combination with a liquid fuel source, a conduit leading therefrom to the engine intake through which the fuel is moved toward the engine,- said conduit comprising a pipe of limited-size; alarger pipe leading from the atmosphere and having a constriction -through which at-the constricment of the valve, the piston chamber having an air relief or vent and means for regulating the same at will.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 5th day of December, 1923.

WILLIAM A. EDWARDS.

tion thereof, the first mentioned pipe discharges, said larger pipe constituting the sole conduit tothe engine for the air and fuel entering through both .said pipes a normally closed inwardly opening valve controlling air access to the said larger pipe; a piston member connected with said valve, and a chamber in whi'chsaid' pistoni reciprocates closed at ythe outer end, whereby 'it constitutes L adash pot-for .retarding the'closing move- 

